Dales Trail compared to the Dales 300

The Dales Trail is the red line and the Dales 300 is the blue line. There are three places where the trails overlap.

Both trails take riders through Nidderdale but the direction of travel is different i.e. the Dales Trail is clockwise and so riders head past Dead Mans Hill and down to Scar House Reservoir and then south along the ridge whilst the Dales 300 goes north into Nidderdale.

Cam High Road and Ribblehead are also places the two routes overlap but the experience is different as the direction of travel is the other way round as we descend Cam High Road rather than climb up it.

Swaledale to the north is of course a Dale both backpacking routes visit and we both travel along Fremington Edge in the same direction which is type 1 fun going downhill. There are differences as the Dales Trail takes a rider to Blaithwaite Mill at the head of Gunnerside and we climb directly onto Reeth Moor and so pass over the tops whilst the Dales 300 takes the lower road.

Dales trail compared to the Dales Divide

On this map the Dales Trail is the blue line and the Dales Divide is the red line. There are also three places where theses trails overlap.

Barden Moor is a shared experience in the south east corner of the Dales but the difference is in the direction of travel. On the Dales Trail we travel in a clockwise direction and so climb onto Barden Moor from the east and descend past Barden Tower whilst the Dales Divide goes the other way climbing up past Barden Tower.

Ribblehead Viaduct is an iconic place and both trails pass under it but, as you’ve guessed by now, it is in the opposite direction. The bonus is that the Dales Trail descends the ridge into Kingsdale to make the track a long flowing section rather than a super tough climb.

The third section where the trails overlap is along Dentdale and if you’ve ridden the Dales Divide and choose to ride the Dales Trail you will enter Dent from the south via the steep descent from the head of Dentdale having passed over Kingsdale.